Idaho semi-weekly world. [volume] (Idaho City, Idaho Territory) 1875-1908, 1887-05-10
Donald's Wife.

When Donald MeKeon married MS.
ward Jessie Summer, many OF ms
| friends said he had madea mistake
She was merry, laughing girl OF
eighteen, fresh from school, and me-
her fathers old friend, quot self
contained man of thirty-iive, and 1t can
scarcely be wondered at that many
wise heads were shaken over the HI
sorted match
Jessie had always stood little in
awe of the quiet, stern man VINO h'.o
been a frequent visitor at her father
house during his life time.
But she was quite unprovided for,
and Donald McKeon was wealthy; and
when he asked her to be his wife in
matter. of-fact way, very much us ne
might have asked her to be his house.
keeper. it seemed the easiest way TO
solve the troublesome problem OF her
fe: and. besides this, she knew her
father to have been under obligations
to him. and more than suspected that
the three years she had spent at a
fashionable school since her father
death had been at his expense
And so they were married. and he
took her TO his old home, that his
family had owned and occupied for
generations.
1t never occurred to him that it was
a drearv sort of life for Il girl like
Jessie, alone in that gloomy old house
all day, with only the servants and the
ghosts of by gone generations for COM
pany.
And when she grew pale and listless'
and lost her old elasticity OF spirits, a
fear that had haunted him since his
wedding day took possession OF INN
and poisoned his lifc-a fear that she
had married him for home and pos
ton, and already regretted her choice.
Gladly would he have given her back
her liberty had that been possible But
being sensitive. undemonstrative
man, he let her see nothing OF this, but
rather shrank from her because OF the
wrong he hatk done her, and came and
went and made no sign.
And then people began to discover
! that Mrs. Mckeon was very charm
! ing woman. and her husband II wealthy
| aud influential man, and invitations
began to pour inupon her.
! And Jessie plunged into this new life
of fashionable dissipation with zeal
that was the natural reaction from the
| gloom and the loneliness of the past
| year.
AT first her husband accompanied her
| wherever she went. for he had some
! what old fashioned notions rs to what
was right aud fitting for women to do.
But il was life he utterly dctested.
1t interfcrcd with his business, and he
looked below the surface and saw the
hollow falshood it was, after all, and it
grated on his fine ideas OF truth and
| sincerity.
Perhaps he was somewhat dictatorial
in his manner of telling her this; per-
haps she imagined so. But when he
urged the point, she rebelled against
his assumption of authority.
1t was their first quarrel and their
last. but 1t was very bitter one.
She spoke cruel singing words, that
ranked and stung him the more that
he had learned to love her so dearly,
as only reserved. self -constrained men
such as he can love, and then only
when they hoar' all the treasures of
their nature to lavish it in middle life
on the woman who is their fate.
After that he opposed her in nothing,
but it was as though great wall of ice
had risen between them
He devoted himself to business and
she became the acknowledged leader of
the most exclusive circle OF the city.
She was madly eXtravagant. She
made the old house marvel of aesthetic
beauty, and entertained like princess
Mrs McKeon's toilets. jewels and
dinners became the models of her set.
Men worshipped her beauty; but for
all their batteries she had the same
smile OF cold contempt, and no man
was bold enough to venture beyond
the most commonplace.
And so the years passed, and each
one drifted them further apart, until
they seldom met, except at Their own
| grand entertainments. Each year she
became more the slave of fashion, and
he of his Office. But through it all he
loved her with an uudying love, and
his one thought was to crafty her
every whim.
And when the dark days came
when ships that were sent out freighted
with costly wares went down, and
were heard of no more-when
houses that seemed stable as granite
failed, and his wealth seemed melting
away like Il snowy wreath, his only
thought was for her, and though each
day his hair grew whittier and his form
| grew more stopped with bending over
the long columns of figures in which
the balance was always on the wrong
side. he whispered, ''For her sake. "
md struggled on and denied her moth
ing.
And even on the day when he
l